Devils And Dust
by roxorchix
Summary: There's too much violence. Too much heartache. The very last thing she needs is having to worry about him being back in her life. Dark SS.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

--

The hard, cold metal chair dug relentlessly into his body. The dents and bumps that scarred the years of use into the chairs poked and prodded until it was near impossible to sit comfortably on what amounted to a heinous device of torture.

At least that was how Syaoran Li was viewing it at the present time.

For now, he sat in the most comfortable position he could find: back slouched over, elbows resting on thighs, hands dangling between knees, and head just bowed enough so locks of brown hair fell over his eyes.

People passed by, unnoticed by him, as arrival and departure flights were called over the speakers. Flight numbers rolled down screens, chatter and snores sounded around him, and heavy suitcases rattled by, dangerously close to his toes. Still, Syaoran remained still, eyes clouded over and lost in lonely thoughts.

It had been years. What made him think she would want anything to do with him now? Where were the letters? The emails? The phone calls? Wasn't that a clear enough indicator of their disintegrating relationship?

But he could still see her eyes from four years ago. Still hear her voice, and still feel the warmth from her hands as she grabbed his arm.

He clutched the flight ticket in his hand as green eyes stared at him from long ago memories.

"Don't go."

The desperation was in her eyes and how her fingers dug into his flesh.

"Hey. Hey…" he murmured, gently grasping her fingers and loosening them from his arm. "I won't be gone forever. I'm a phone call away."

Her troubled eyes still bore into his. "Too far away."

It threw him. All the desperation in her voice and body language was too different coming from the normally cheerful Sakura.

"What's the matter? What's wrong?"

Her eyes searched his, a little too intently.

"Something's coming. Something big. Something that… I don't know, Syaoran. I'm scared. Please," she stopped suddenly, hesitating.

"What, Sakura?"

"Don't go."

He felt that clutch in his belly, that little twinge in his senses when he felt the presence of something when he heard her words. He was only fourteen. What could he do?

"Sakura… Don't do this. Please don't ask me to do that. My mother – I can't – You… I have to go home. You know I have to go back now."

She released him then, as she stepped back. But when her touch left him, it felt like more then just that simple connection had been broken.

"Of course. I do know that. But… It was silly of me," she gave him a weak smile, "I should never have asked. I'm sorry if I worried you. Nothing will probably happen." She bumped up her smile a notch, and Syaoran could see her pulling her usual cheer back together like a shield. "Have a safe trip home and… I wish your family well. I hope… I hope everything turns out well."

Syaoran nodded and she turned back to the group waiting a little ways off. He could see Touya scowling at him. He didn't care.  
"Sakura." She turned back. "Call me if anything happens. Anything. I'll be here, okay? I promise." He wiggled his pinky finger at her, his lips curving into a small smile.

"Your pinky? That's a serious promise, Syaoran," she replied, a bit of her usual humour coming back into her eyes. "Okay. I'll remember this."

That was the last time he saw or heard from her, Syaoran thought as he opened his eyes, four years later, in a different time, in a different airport. In a different country.

"You never called," Syaoran muttered. "Why didn't you call?"

_"Flight 210 passengers, seats twenty-five to forty-eight may now board. Seats twenty-five to forty-eight."_

Syaoran stood, slinging the single duffle bag over his shoulder. A lady at the gate smiled at him, her hand outstretched for his ticket. A part of Syaoran laughed at his hesitation to hand the ticket over. The poor lady had no idea how much of a barrier she was to him. She was the last thing in his way, asides from his own conscience, that was between him and the past that he wasn't sure even wanted him back.

--

Sakura knocked on Touya's front door, her anxiety quickly turning into impatience.

God, why wasn't he answering the door?

She knew she'd woken up late that morning, forty minutes late, actually, but she'd rushed over as soon as possible. Touya couldn't possibly have slept in later than she had.

Her impatience was quickly reaching the boiling point when she felt it. As her knuckle rapped the door again, a brush of cold shot up her fingers. Her arm jerked back, her hand cradled against her chest. Surprised, she stared at the door. She shouldn't have reacted so strongly to something so minor.

Then she remembered the incidents that had started four years ago, that had began escalating, and felt her heart begin to beat a little too fast.

"Touya…" she murmured, rapping on his door again and feeling the urgency begin to build in her chest. "Open the door, Touya."

She stopped, hand curled into a loose fist. What if this was just a result of her ever growing paranoia?

Her hand curled over the door knob.

She was just paranoid. Really. But the door knob was cold. So cold.

She called on Lock and felt, more than heard, the locks click open.

This was stupid. Touya was probably fine. Sleeping.

_What if you're wrong?_

She was running before she even got the door fully open.

She didn't know how she knew to go to the kitchen, but her pounding footsteps brought her there with each panicked breath.

The house was too quiet. Empty. _Cold._

"Touya!"

Sakura skidded to a stop in the middle of the kitchen. The floors were red.

Everything suddenly seemed so far away. Disconnected, somehow. There was a high pitched roaring in her ears, making everything seem too silent but too loud at the same time. Her heart thumped wildly, lodging in her throat and making it hard to breathe. It was too hot in here. She was shivering. Her hands were clammy. The room was spinning.

Why was it so cold?

She didn't realize she'd dropped to her knees and reaching out for Touya until her eyes focused on her blood streaked hand.

Blood?

Touya was sprawled out on the floor. His eyes were open, but they were a matte, empty brown, staring up at the ceiling as if there were horrors there he couldn't close his eyes to.

"T-Touya?"

There was too much blood. As if from a long distance, Sakura looked down at her brother. He'd been torn open from sternum to navel, blood still the bright red before it dries to rusty browns. In horror, she realized the glimpses of white she saw were strips of his ribcage jutting outwards.

_I'm too late. I'm too fucking late._

Then it all rushed in, every detail, too fast, and too close to her. Jerking, falling, scuttling back, her eyes never leaving Touya, Sakura began to scream.

--

At that very moment, thousands of miles away, Syaoran snapped awake with a pressing urgency to get to Japan. In hours, he was booked and on the next plane out.

* * *

And it's not a cry that you hear at night  
It's not somebody who's seen the light  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah  
--Jeff Buckley

* * *


	2. Chapter 1: Changes

**CHAPTER ONE  
**Changes

--

* * *

But all is changed in time, the future none can see  
The road you leave behind, ahead lies mystery  
--Stevie Wonder

* * *

The first thing Syaoran thought when he set foot on Tomoeda soil was that it felt different.

He wasn't referring to the physical aspect of it, though there had been some changes in the shops and buildings, it was not nearly different enough to elicit confusion in where he was. Nor was it different in the sense of his seeing Tomoeda through adult eyes. He'd left when he was fourteen, yet Syaoran remembered Tomoeda as it was then.

No, it was something in the air. It was in the presence of the people, of the surroundings, and just in indescribable _things_. It was darker somehow. Heavy. It was a change so subtle yet so palpable that he could nearly taste it.

A discreet cough sounded behind him. Turning, Syaoran saw his forgotten cab driver fix a bored stare on him.

"Everything all right, sir?" the cabbie asked, his tone anything but interested.

"Fine," Syaoran muttered as he paid him.

The cabbie paused, staring at him a bit longer than necessary after taking the money. "Right."

As he watched the taxicab pull away, he muttered, "I _am_ fine."

His behaviour made Syaoran feel just a little crazy.

So he woke up this morning in a panic, so what. That's normal after having a heart-pounding nightmare. Of course, he didn't really remember the nightmare… Then in mere hours later, he booked himself on the next possible plane to Japan. He's eighteen. He's allowed to be spontaneous. Of course, he wasn't just an eighteen year-old after taking over family business anymore. He had to cancel, reschedule, and re-arrange a good chunk of his schedule on the plane.

And now he was in Japan, alone, with a single duffel bag of personal belongings, without having seen or heard from anyone he knew since he'd left, and with nowhere to go. Why was he here again?

Because he had a bad feeling from a dream he couldn't remember.

Maybe he was just a little bit crazy.

But he had money. And money helped with finding a place to stay, Syaoran thought as he began to walk. He had to start somewhere. It may as well be where he would sleep tonight.

He'd only gone a few paces when it hit him.

It was as if the power of a presence slammed into him, cutting off his air, rolling through his head until he could taste it in the back of his mouth, and rippling along and under his skin until the hair rose on his flesh. Then just as suddenly as it hit him, it was gone, leaving Syaoran cold, trembling, and thrown.

_What in hell was that?_

--

He found a suitable hotel soon enough. It was close to the shops and in walking distance of his childhood friends' neighbourhood. At least he hoped it was still their neighbourhood.

As soon as he'd checked in and dropped his duffel bag, Syaoran was out on the streets again, skipping the hot shower and feeling unusually restless. He was still edgy from the occurrence that had felt very much like an attack and decided walking while worrying would be better than sitting still and fidgeting. Yet the exercise and fresh air did nothing to calm his nerves.

Instead, he kept the setting sun company as he walked through familiar streets that seemed different, and recalled half a dozen memories by the time he walked down the block. Sakura was _everywhere_. Each way he looked he could think of times he was there just being with Sakura.

He lost himself in that. He lost himself in his own mind, in half-buried memories, and in the city streets. He didn't fully register where he was until he was half-way down the street lined with cherry blossom trees.

He didn't stop, but part of his mind began to panic. He knew exactly where he was going, and he couldn't make himself stop, because the rest of his mind felt a surge of exhilaration. As if after all this time, he was finally coming home.

He shook those thoughts off as soon as they formed. He must've written her a thousand times and called even more. He'd never gotten a reply.

_And didn't that cut like a knife_, he thought bitterly. He would be better off turning around and heading back to Hong Kong, where he belonged.

Syaoran actually stopped in his tracks and was beginning to turn when the better half of his mind began flashing back on the feeling he woke up with this morning. He was raised to trust his gut instincts, especially when they came to him in dreams.

He shook his head and squared his shoulders, determinedly turning back around and marching on.

He had to see Sakura and make sure she was okay.

But by the time he came into view of Sakura's home, the sun had already completely set. The darkness settling around him felt like a cloak, shielding him from his surroundings and leaving him alone with his conscience. So he stood there for a while, a lonely shadow of a figure, and studied the house.

It looked just as he recalled it. It was a good house. It was the right size for a family with kids, and sturdy looking as ever. Not only that, but it looked like a home. It felt like one.

How many times had he been there before? God, he couldn't count the times. Just as he'd lost track of how many times he'd butted heads with Touya, how he'd madly blushed at every smile Sakura aimed his way, and how many times he'd argued with Kero.

A sudden wave of exhaustion rolled through him. He wasn't sure if it was the rehashed memories or the jetlag getting to him, but Syaoran chose that reasoning over cowardice when he turned around and headed back to the hotel.

--

He slept like the dead for eleven solid hours, only waking when he rolled over into a patch of early afternoon sunlight that burned through his eyelids. Moaning and feeling as if a truck had rolled over his head and then backed up, Syaoran stumbled into the cramped washroom and splashed cold water on his face.

It didn't help.

Praying that the miraculous effects of caffeine in coffee would make his mornings feel less like shit, Syaoran threw on jeans and a wrinkled green t-shirt he didn't remember packing (if you could call stuffing a handful of randomly picked clothing into a duffel bag packing), and headed down in search for what would technically be lunch.

He found food and coffee, but also found that his stomach was too knotted and tied up about where he was going later, that he couldn't choke down any of the food. Instead, he drained the coffee and only felt his morning marginally improve.

It wasn't long before he found himself at Sakura's doorstep with his fist poised to knock. Then he hesitated. Again.

This was ridiculous. He had nothing to fear asides from getting thrown out if she really didn't want to see him. It wasn't as if they had a major falling out. It wasn't as if either of them had their heart ripped open and handed back.

Syaoran remembered the unanswered mail and winced.

So that hurt, but maybe there was an explanation.

He had his fist raised again, his mind distracting himself enough to knock – when the door swung open.

A young woman stared at him for a moment, stifling a startled cry. He took that moment to study her. She was wearing a long sweep of a dress, a deep charcoal that emphasized a slim waist. Ebony hair fell past her shoulders, framing a face of pale, fine-boned features.

She was striking upon first impression, and so very familiar.

"H-Hello. May I help you?" she finally stuttered.

"Yes. Um… Well – Is – Does a Miss Sakura Kinomoto live here?"

"Why yes, ah…" she trailed off, and Syaoran saw recognition light her eyes the same time it dawned on him.

"Syaoran?"

"Daidouji?"

She paused at that, a slight frown creasing her brow.

"We were on a first name basis before you left."

Syaoran stared at her, his mind reeling. How could he have not instantly recognized Sakura's best friend? Worst, they had become better friends themselves as well.

"I… I'm sorry. Tomoyo." He grasped for something to say. "It's… been a long time."

"Yes, it has." The frown disappeared as she studied him more closely this time, just a little more guarded and aloof then he remembered. "Why are you here, Syaoran?"

It was how she asked him, and how her eyes merely reflected his image back that unnerved him. He didn't like that feeling of not knowing what he felt he should know. He never did like it. Not at all.

And what unnerved him, also made him snappish, no matter how childish he realized the reaction may appear.

"What's happened?" He pushed past her into the house. "Where's Sakura? Is she all right?"

Tomoyo reached out and snagged his arm, stopping him. Her eyes were furious, but there was something else back there as well.

"No, Syaoran. You don't get to see her at all until you tell me what you're doing here. It's been four years. _What made you come?_"

There was urgency in her tone that stopped him from ignoring her. He looked at Tomoyo now, really looked, and realized what was behind the fury: weariness. Grief.

"I…" He glanced at the door. "I'll answer your questions Tomoyo, but can we please do this inside?"

Without a word, she let go of his arm and quietly shut the door. Then she led him into the living room and gestured for him to take a seat. She remained standing, so he did too.

Tomoyo angled her chin up so she could look him in the eye while waiting for answers. He only realized then how small she was. She barely came up to his shoulders.

"When did you arrive?" she finally asked in polite tones.

"Yesterday. My flight was in the morning."

He caught the flicker in her eyes before she disguised it.

"Why did you come, Syaoran?"

"Just… can you tell me if Sakura's all right?"

Tomoyo lifted a shoulder in half a shrug. "She's sleeping. She only settled down late last night, so I'd really rather not wake her."

Syaoran nodded, a tension he didn't realize was in his shoulders, relaxed slightly.

"All right. I… This might sound stupid."

"No, it won't," Tomoyo interrupted. Syaoran looked into her dark, unmoved eyes and knew she'd believe him. This Tomoyo might've been different, a touch colder than the sweet, sometimes silly child, but she'd also been a steady friend, constantly standing behind Sakura no matter how disastrous the situation. And she was loyal. She'd listen if it protected Sakura.

"I don't remember what woke me up yesterday morning. I thought it was a nightmare, but now I'm not so sure. I just… woke up panicked, you know? So I thought it was a nightmare. But… I _felt_ something. Like I should be in Japan. Like something terrible had happened and I wasn't there. I was terrified something happened to Sakura." He rubbed his arm, suddenly chilled. That was the first time he put into words how he felt. "Please Tomoyo, what the hell is going on?"

"What -" there was a tremble in her voice and she stopped, clearing her throat. "What time did you wake up?"

There was that terrible knowledge back in her eyes again, and it made Syaoran's eyes narrow.  
"Why?"

"Answer the question."

"Around nine, maybe. _Why?_"

Suddenly, grief seemed to overwhelm Tomoyo, filling her eyes with tears.

"_You should know why!_" she cried, voice choked up but hot with fury. "You're _magical_. You had a _dream_. Why don't you just tell me what you _saw_?"

"I don't remember it," Syaoran murmured, staring. Tomoyo wasn't listening. She battered tiny fists on his chest that startled more than hurt him.

"Why didn't you answer any of the letters? Emails? Calls? _God!_" she made a wild, arching gesture. "If you'd come any sooner, none of _this_ would've happened!"

There was a lump in his throat that made it hard to breathe. He caught Tomoyo's wrists in his hands.

"What are you talking about?" he nearly whispered.

He saw the shock in Tomoyo's eyes when they both heard a low, sleep-roughened voice.

"Tomoyo? What's going on?"

Syaoran released her wrists and slowly turned.

She stood at the doorway, barefoot and in bright pink pyjamas. She'd gotten taller, her figure still slender and willowy, and her hair only a few inches longer. But her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and there was a drawn look to her features that only grief could etch. Yet she was still beautiful. Heartbreakingly so.

They stared at each other as if looking over a void in time.

"Sakura," he murmured, taking a step towards her.

She took a step back, shaking her head.

"What are you doing here, Syaoran?"


	3. Chapter 2: All The Tired Horses

**CHAPTER TWO  
**All The Tired Horses

--

Syaoran hadn't changed at all.

That was Sakura's first thought when the boy arguing with Tomoyo turned around. She didn't have to think about who the youth hovering on the cusp of manhood was, she just _knew_, just as she would always know.

He'd grown well. He'd managed to shoot up in height but still fill out enough so he looked lanky instead of awkwardly gangly. His hair was still that mess of brown locks, and his eyes were still that brilliant, sharp brown. But he looked so tired, standing there in her living room, towering over Tomoyo with his rumpled clothes and wary frown.

But his face changed when he saw her. The wariness switched from relief to worry and back to wariness so quickly that she would have missed it if she wasn't staring at him so intently.

"Sakura," he murmured taking a step towards her.

"What are you doing here, Syaoran?"

She heard the suspicion in her own voice as the words shot from her mouth, and almost cringed at the look it brought to Syaoran's face. He looked as if she just slapped him. But she felt so numb. God, she felt so numb from it all.

"Sakura, I… You… How… I…" He stopped and just breathed as he stared at her staring back at him.

She looked like hell, and she knew it. She stayed up late last night, so late, because she was afraid something else might happen in those early morning hours if she went to sleep. Tomoyo had finally convinced her to rest only when the sun was just starting to lighten the sky.

And she cried.

Kero had stayed with her the whole day, not saying a word. Then Yukito had come, eyes just as red and filled with grief. Then Yue came. She related the story through tissues, tears and snot. Yue had nodded, and then turned back to Yukito so they could cling together and grieve.

Now Syaoran was here.

"I can't take any more surprises here, Syaoran. Why did you come now? After all those pathetic cries for help? All my letters and calls?"

Syaoran shook his head as he started towards her.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sakura."

She backtracked until her back hit the wall.

"Stop! Just stop."

Syaoran stopped, his surprise raising his eyebrows.

His being here threw her. She didn't know how to feel about it. Angry? Upset because he'd cut off all communication? Indignant _because_ he'd cut off all communication? Or still just tearful over Touya's… Touya's…

The image of her brother's torn, broken body flashed in her mind and she pushed it as far back into the recesses of her mind as she could. She didn't need to see that right now. She didn't want Syaoran touching her right now. She couldn't fall apart. Not now.

"Not now," she whispered.

"What?"

Sakura snapped back, eyes focusing on Syaoran.

"That's bullshit. I must've sent you hundreds of letters after all my calls kept getting cut off. Or blocked." She closed her eyes, feeling safer with the wall still pressed to her back. "_Why_, Syaoran? Why now?"

Syaoran ran hands through his already messy hair, a sign of frustration.

"_That's_ bullshit! _I _must've sent _you_ thousands of letters and even more cut off calls." His voice was rising, temper edging in. "I didn't get _shit_ from you."

Tomoyo stepped in then, raising her hands and stopping both parties from speaking.

"That's enough. _Enough_," she reinforced when Syaoran opened his mouth.

All movement stopped. Tomoyo's word was law.

She jabbed a finger at Syaoran. "You. Look at Sakura. You are not going to yell at her here. And you can't just show up on her doorstep four years later and not expect to answer a few questions."

Her expression softened when she turned to Sakura.

"I'm sorry. But I believe him. You both look so worn down… So… Can we just sit down and talk? I don't want to argue anymore."

The quiet worry and weariness in Tomoyo's words made Sakura stop, breathe, and begin to re-evaluate.

"All right. Okay. I think Dad left some cake. I'll make some tea."

She escaped the room before anything else could be said.

And for the longest time, Sakura stood in the kitchen and stared a hole in the wall.

What was she doing here again? Right. Tea. Her mind on auto, she found her hands holding the teapot, pulling out teabags, and pouring hot water in. All mindless acts as her head reeled.

She could feel the lump in her throat now, hot tears burning her eyes but refusing to spill down. And her hands were shaking.

_Four years._ How was she supposed to feel? He made a promise…

She set the teapot down with a clatter.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo called from the living room. "Do you want me to help?"

"No," she called back, voice sounding choked. "No, I'm fine."

She arranged a tray set with the teapot, cups, saucers, cream, and sugar. She carried it into the living room and stared down at it in dismay when she set it down.

"I forgot the cake."

"Forget it. Its fine," Syaoran said, voice quiet.

Sakura eased herself down on the couch and stared at her hands.

"Okay…" Tomoyo started, "Lets start over then. Where's Kero, Sakura?"

She shrugged. "He was still sleeping when I heard your voices down here. He should still be sleeping. He stayed up with me all night, and sleeps like a rock. I don't think he'll be awake anytime soon."

For a while, the room was silent, still, and just a little cold. No one reached for the tea.

"How did you find out about Touya?" Sakura asked, the whisper sounding like a shout in the quiet.

She looked up in time to see the colour drain from Syaoran's face.

"Touya?" He stood so abruptly that Sakura jerked.

"I thought… Is he all right?"

"He's dead."

Syaoran stared at her, hisface asickly white.

Her words had been empty, and she knew her eyes were flat of any emotion. She didn't want to break down now. There was so much to do. _Don't fall apart now._

"My God." Heavily, he sat back down, stunned. Slowly, he lowered his face into his hands. Sakura realized he was trembling.

He was saying something under his breath. Cursing, murmuring, trembling.

"What, Syaoran?"

He raised his head enough to meet her eyes.

"I thought it was you. Shit, Sakura… I thought it was you."

This time, it was Sakura who shot up from her seat., shaking so hard she had to clench her hands into fists to control some of it.

"What do you mean _you thought it was me_?"

"I had a dream. I can't even _remember_ the dream. It was a feeling from a dream. _I felt something_."

Syaoran was standing now too, and they were shouting again, this time over the coffee table.

"_A dream?_ Why didn't you come any sooner? Like, maybe after getting my letters from three years ago?"

"Maybe you should stop hurling accusation at me andtry out this skill called listening. _I didn't get any of your letters_. I didn't hear from you at all! I hopped on a plane and flew all the way out here on a _feeling_. What the hell do you want from me?"

"I wanted you here. _Here!_ Before Touya died. Before _that thing_ got to him! Before… Before… _I never wanted you to leave_."

There were tears blinding her vision now, none spilling down her cheeks, and silence on Syaoran's side. When her vision cleared enough, she could see how her words had affected Syaoran. His eyes were wide with shock, looking huge on his pale face. His mouth was opening and closing with no words coming out, and his hands were at his sides, grasping at empty air.

She'd sucker punched him.

And Tomoyo was quietly crying into her hands, forgotten in the corner.

"Shit," she whispered, "Shit. What's happened to us?"

Her eyes were just closing in exhaustion when she felt it.

The cold was back. That cold, black presence was coming back, rolling through the room like an invisible mist, creeping towards her. It swirled dangerously and crawled up her legs. Then it sank claws into her. She could feel that cold prick through her skin and draw no blood. She could feel it wrap itself around her and squeeze. And she could feel it burrow right into her. Down to the bone and settle in like a disease.

"Not now." Then she said a few words she knew Syaoran never heard come from her mouth by the way his eyes widened. Tomoyo had stopped crying and was staring at her.

"Is it…?"

Sakura nodded. "We have to leave. Now."

Syaoran shook his head.

"This is moving too fast. You can't drop that bomb and run away. What just happened?"

Sakura didn't answer, she was already sprinting up the stairs for Kero. She came back with an oddly alert Kero for being just woken up.

Syaoran was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with Tomoyo.

"You!" Kero cried out when he caught sight of Syaoran, which was surprising considering Sakura was nearly crushing him in her fist. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"_Not now, Kero_," Sakura said with a rather vicious shake. She pointed at Syaoran. "You stay here or you come with me." She paused. "No, you stay here. _And don't go anywhere_."

But Syaoran was already shaking his head in disagreement.

"There's no chance in hell I'm staying here with you running off to danger."

"You have no idea what we're dealing with."

"Do you?" Syaoran shot back.

"Better than you."

"No. No. You're not going anywhere alone."

"I _won't_ be alone. I have Kero." She gestured and he saw Tomoyo on her cell phone. "And I have Yue. That's _all_ I need."

Sakura felt little paws batter at her fist. When she looked down she realized she was squeezing Kero just a little too tightly. She found relaxing her fist took a bit of effort, and Kero began to wheeze for air.

"I'm sorry, Kero."

"It's _that kid's_ fault."

When she looked back at said 'kid', he was aiming one of the most intense glares in her direction.

"I'm coming."

"_Fine_," she hissed. "Arguing with you is obviously just wasting my time. I'm tracking it. Keep up."

Sakura didn't wait for any affirmatives before she dashed out the door, vaguely hearing it slam shut behind her.

She was running down the street at a dead run, not really knowing exactly where she was going. She learned to track it with feeling. She never stopped to question her direction. It got to the point where her feet carried her to the destination.

And she thought she knew where they were headed seconds after leaving the door. And it terrified her.

She noticed everybody kept up, but otherwise didn't think much of anything else. When she finally stopped in front of the house, she could hardly breathe.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo whispered, her breathing sounding harsh in her ears. "Is this it?"

Sakura nodded, mouth dry.

"Where are we?"

She heard Syaoran shift behind her and he studied his surroundings. She knew what he saw. She'd been here hundreds of times before. It would've been a cheerful looking house. A compact one-story with just budding flowers in the small plot of land. The harsh yellow police tape took that cheerfulness away.

"We're at Touya's house."

She took a step forward and stopped.

Tomoyo came to her side and gently took her hand.

"Are you sure, Sakura?" her voice dropped, "You don't have to do this."

Sakura closed her eyes and felt the cold harden in her bones. Yes, it was definitely emitting from Touya's home.

Turning away, she found comfort in her oldest friend's arms, and burrowed her face into Tomoyo's neck.

"I don't want to go in," she whispered in her ear.

Tomoyo nodded as Sakura pulled away. Her eyes were dark with worry.

"But you will anyways."

Sakura steeled her shoulders, perfectly away that Syaoran was watching her.

"Yes. We can't disturb anything though. It's still a crime scene." Sakura ran her hands through her hair as she contemplated the possibilities. "Okay. All right. I'll use the Through card and let you guys in. Okay?"

Syaoran made a move to stop her, but checked himself before he carried through. "We... You should wait for Yue."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm going in now."

She walked to the door and prepared herself for what she was going to do.

Focusing her thoughts, she tapped into the presence of the Through card, poured her magic and her will into it, and walked through the door.

She learned a long time ago that the wand was just a tool, not a necessity.

When she unlocked the door for the others, she was trembling again. Yes, it was definitely here. The cold had seeped into the walls, the floor, leaving its ugly marks in what was once her brother's beautiful home.

And Syaoran was staring at her like he'd never seen her before.

She pushed away the initial hurt that ached in her, and focused.

It was coming from the kitchen.

Slowly, dreading what she was going to see, Sakura started towards the spot she had to be dragged away from just the other morning. Heart pounding, she stopped at the kitchen doorway with Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Kero at her back. Her heart stopped.

Touya was lying on the floor again, just asbroken andbloody as the other day. His ribcage wasn't the only thing showing this time. This time, his entrails strewn out from the gaping hole.

She realized her breath was hitching, head spinning. The room stunk of death.

"No. No. No. No," she realized she was repeating under her breath. "They took you away yesterday. _You're not Touya!_"

In horror, unable to tear her eyes away, Sakura saw those empty brown eyes begin to wheel in its sockets. Then they stopped, twitched, and then pinned its gaze on Sakura.

His head turned slowly in her direction, eyes never leaving her face. The sound his neck bones made with the movement reminded her of a sick, wet-sounding snap, crackle, and pop.

Slowly, Touya's lips stretched into a grotesque grin that split his face.

"Good morning. Late morning, Sakura?"

* * *

But nothing really matters much, it's doom alone that counts  
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn.  
--Bob Dylan

* * *


	4. Chapter 3: Ballad Of A Thin Man

**CHAPTER THREE  
**Ballad Of A Thin Man

--

She couldn't move.

She couldn't talk.

She couldn't make a sound.

All she could do was stare. And stare. And stare.

Death reeked in her nose. It stole away her thoughts, and turned her sights into nothing more but animated nightmares.

When she moved, it wasn't by her own dictation. When he moved, it wasn't Touya.

He got up slowly, sickeningly slowly. He threw his body weight over, so he rolled onto his side rather wetly. Entrails pushed through his stomach. A bloody mass fell out with a sodden plop.

Bile rose up her throat, her stomach undulating.

His arms had fallen over when he rolled, but they reached down to push himself upwards. His limbs looked like useless, heavy twigs, torn and battered but still used like makeshift canes. When he managed to get to his feet, long intestines were hanging down, his mouth gaped open, and his tongue lolled.

"Sa-kur-a," he said, singing out her name in joy, punctuating each syllable.

Dimly, she heard people calling out her name, and screaming. She stopped in the middle of the kitchen.

Tomoyo. Kero. Syaoran.

They were calling her back.

When Touya began to lurch towards her, each step coming down heavily with his arms swinging uselessly at his sides, Sakura realized she was the one screaming.

"Why don't you wish your big brother a good morning? Are you such a monster?"

The childhood nickname stopped her screaming cold. The twisted grin was back on his face, but his eyes were still disturbingly blank. Empty. The perverseness of Touya calling her monster wiped her mind of everything, until she felt as blank and empty as his eyes.

"What are you?" she whispered.

He stopped in front of her, body swaying with the sudden stillness and weighed down with dead weight.

"Sakura," he tsked, "Is that any way to speak to me?"

"_Why are you doing this?_"

He raised a hand, the motion making bones crack and pop.

"I have something to tell you. You won't shoot the messenger, will you?"

Sakura recoiled at the hand. Torn and bloodied, fingernails cracked and broken, his hand reached for her. She jerked when it came down on her shoulder, and tightened, tightened until bone rubbed against bone and until she couldn't jerk away.

"Won't you listen to me?"

Shuddering, she tried to breathe through her mouth. When she tasted the stench of death in the back of her mouth and she gagged and switched back to breathing through her nose.

It surrounded her. It was touching her. She felt death crawl from Touya's fingers and into her shoulder, making her cold, cold, so cold.

She had to remember this wasn't Touya.

_Don't speak to it like it's Touya._

She raised her head to meet those empty brown eyes.

"What do you want from me?"

The maniacal grin was back, flecks of blood flying from his mouth as he spoke.

"I want you, Sakura. Have you not figured it out yet? After all these years and the silly Card Mistress still can't figure out a simple thing like this on her own?"

His other hand came up to grasp her other shoulder.

Sakura shook her head wildly, her hair whipping over his hands and coming away bloody.

"No. No. I don't know."

_He's an illusion. Focus. Focus._

But his hands felt so real on her shoulders as he tightened his grip.

"Magic. Power." His face dropped to level with hers. "Isn't it always about power?"

She hardly registered the words. All she could see was that empty brown and smell death coming off him in waves. She gagged. She couldn't stop it. She vomited on Touya's torso.

He peeled back his lips and laughed with the smell of blood and gore on his breath.

"What are you?" she repeated weakly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Such lack of creativity in questions. I thought it would be fun! Don't you think?" Touya smiled at her and chills ran down her spine.

"Why Touya? Why use Touya?"

"Ah. There. A new question." He leaned in until it looked like a parody of the beginning of a lovers kiss. "I really did think it was funny. Dear Sakura, staying up so late to make sure nothing bad happens. Just to wake up late and find me dead." His voice dropped until she was sure she was the only one that could hear him. "And now that your little green wolf is here, things are finally going to get fun. Fun, fun, fun. Don't you think? I can hardly wait."

Terror stabbed through her, the suddenness of it making her head light. She swayed at the sensation, but Touya's grip kept her still.

"Leave Syaoran alone," she whispered. "He's not in this. I'll make him go back. I'll make him go away."

Touya shook his head as he tsked again, foul breath on her face. "I don't think so. That would just suck all the fun right out. I like the look of your little wolf. Not quite the alpha male yet, but so willing to keep you safe. How interesting that would make things."

"No…" she breathed. "Please. Just… Not Syaoran."

"Then Tomoyo? Your father? Or maybe one of your guardians? Your childhood crush, Yukito? Which one would you sacrifice to save the other?"

The terror backed up in her throat and made her vision swim.

"Can't choose? Maybe I should just take them all."

"_No!_ You said you wanted me. Just me."

His shoulders lifted in a lazy shrug. A great feat to be done with an animated corpse.

"Yes, well, think of all the fun that could be had with the others. But Sakura, I never truly answered your question, did I? Why Touya?" A wicked grin filled her vision. "Don't you think it would be funny if an overprotective big brother in life wound up killing his little sister in death?"

As he said this, the fingers that dug into her shoulder loosened and began to slide up to her neck. Her hands shot up to stop him when his face leaned in closer for a kiss.

She didn't want to touch him. She really didn't want to touch him.

But now that his flesh was under her fingertips, she felt the shredded skin, jutting bones, and slick feel of blood.

_This isn't Touya. It isn't Touya. It's not Touya!_

She shrank into herself as his hands tightened, tightened on her throat.

She didn't ask herself where the hell everyone was. It never crossed her mind. She didn't think about dying. She couldn't think about anything but empty brown eyes staring into hers.

But as she watched, Touya changed in front of her. She felt it under her hands as the blood slowly flecked away. Skin puckered together, gapes closing, sewing back together until it came out smooth and flawless, as if never punctured. Then the healing touched his eyes.

She couldn't breathe. His hands were cutting off respiration and black spots were appearing in front of her eyes.

But she didn't move to stop him.

All she could see was how his eyes changed from blank and empty, to bright and filled with glee as his hands wrapped around her throat, choking her.

"You were too late to save me," he whispered.

The words pricked through the haze of shock. Black was edging into her vision when she felt the smooth skin of Touya's face under her hands.

Rage bubbled in her.

It murdered Touya.

It took his battered body and used it like a toy.

It threatened her.

It threatened everyone.

Tomoyo. Her father. Yukito. Yue. Kero… Syaoran.

And all she could do was stand here and babble?

Fiery burned inside of her. The magic pulsed through her body and filled her thoughts, her mind, and her very soul.

She didn't realize what she was doing. She didn't see how Touya jerked under her fingertips when the skin began to singe and smoke under her touch.

Through her blackening vision and the feeling of her body shutting down, the magic burned up inside of her. She couldn't breathe. But she found air when she felt flames erupt from her very being.

Then darkness took her in.

The last thing she saw was Touya's skull in her hands, flesh and muscles blackened and burned, torn and ripped away, and hanging from the bones.

* * *

The imitation of good faith  
Is how you stumble upon hate.  
--The Wallflowers

* * *


	5. Chapter 4: Bullet Proof I Wish I Was

**CHAPTER FOUR  
**Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was

--

Syaoran watched her sleep, his fingers just brushing the tips of her hair.

His back was hunched over as he kept watch. He had pulled the chair close to her bed, after carrying her back home, and he'd huddled there in the same position for hours. He didn't know how long he'd been there, just that he only managed to get rid of Kero a short while ago. It took him that long just to slow his pounding heart before he keeled over on the spot.

But now as he sat there watching her sleep, his back cramping in places he wasn't aware could cramp, Syaoran began to painfully go over every detail he could remember.

He tried to make it candid. He really did. But the fear kept creeping back into his memories. He couldn't shake the sheer terror that gripped him from his thoughts. All he could think was that when she walked into that room, none of them could follow.

He made a move to stop her, to bring her back to him, when he slammed into an invisible barrier. It was worse that it was invisible rather than being opaque, it meant he had to stand there and just watch.

They started to yell her name, to make her come back, but she wouldn't listen. _Why wouldn't she listen?_

He shook the wild emotion from his thoughts and started over.

Vaguely, he could remember a golden light behind him as Kero transformed, then barely having enough time to get out of the way before a stream of blistering fire blasted into the barrier. Kero had hardly uttered a warning. Tomoyo was already well out of the way. Syaoran had a feeling Kero didn't really care whether or not he turned into a crispy critter.

When nothing worked, Syaoran stood there, banging on the barrier despite being hot to the touch. The pain of it made him feel less worthless. Feeling the heat burn through skin made him think it was better than standing and doing nothing.

But when Touya's corpse wrapped his hands around her throat, Syaoran felt a surge of rage that blinded him, and terror that stopped him cold. He was useless. He didn't know what to do. And all he could think was that he couldn't lose her. Not like this. Not after four years of a misunderstanding.

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head like a dog drying himself. He fought off the waves of his own exhaustion. He wanted to be here when she woke up. He needed to… Just see her wake up.

Yue had just come in when Sakura burned up Touya's corpse to the bone. He could remember seeing the charred flesh hanging in strips, right before Sakura collapsed, the barrier evaporating under his touch. He tripped over his own feet getting into the room.

When she hit the floor, everything disappeared. The blood, Touya, every scrap of evidence of anything having ever occurred in there was wiped clean in seconds.

He didn't pay much attention to that at the time. He ran to Sakura, and needless to say, panicked when she wouldn't wake up. Surprisingly, Tomoyo had stepped in as the voice of reason before Syaoran did anything stupid. She'd calmed him down, convinced Kerberos to transform back, and then got them all back to Sakura's home. Of course Yue had cooperated, completely calm.

There was a throbbing, front and centre in his forehead and between his eyes. This was too much. All at once.

He leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes for a just a moment.

He bolted awake to Sakura's screaming.

"Shit, shit," he cursed under his breath as he leaned over the bed. He grasped her upper arms and tried to still her rather than listening to his initial instinct to shake her awake.

"Sakura. Wake up. Come on, Sakura. It's a dream, just a dream. Come back to me."

Her head thrashed on the pillow, eyes squeezing as tears eked out from the corner. Her hands reached up and gripped his forearms until he winced.

"Blood. Blood. So much blood." Her eyes snapped open, such a brilliant green despite her pupils being so dilated that it made him start. "Blood on my hands," she gasped.

As he made hushing, useless noises that sounded relatively calming, he framed her face in his hands so she saw only him. When her eyes focused, she jerked away just as pounding footsteps reached the door and threw it open with a bang.

"Sakura -" he didn't get much further when Kerberos leapt, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there.

"Don't touch her," he snarled.

Kerberos' bared fangs swam in and out of his vision as he recovered from the fall and from his head rapping against the floor.

"Get off him, Kero. Now." Hands pulled him off and Syaoran wheezed in a breath, bright spots still dancing in his eyesight.

Gently Tomoyo helped him to his feet. Sakura was still sitting, curled up on the bed. Kero sat scowling beside her, back in his disguise with his arms crossed. Yukito stood at the doorway, his expression a strange cross between worry and a frown.

Syaoran ignored them. He took a step towards Sakura.

"Are you all right?"

Kero jumped to his feet, but Sakura grabbed him before he could do much else.

"I'm fine." She tugged on Kero's wings. "It was just a nightmare."

"Right."

Syaoran sat back on the chair and leaned forward until she warily glanced up at him.

"What?"

"I want you to tell me everything. Right from when I left. When these things started happening, when you learned so much advanced magic, why you had to… Everything."

Yukito stepped in then, Tomoyo not far behind him.

"No. Not now. She should rest. Doing that sort of -"

But Sakura was already shaking her head.

"No. It's fine." She put Kero back on the bed and gave him a gentle boot with her fingers. "You guys should go downstairs and rest." Frowns were the response she got. "He'll have to know everything soon, anyways. Now is a good a time as any."

Kero stubbornly stayed put.

"The others can go, but I'm going to stay. I'm not leaving you alone with this -" his next words were unrepeatable. Syaoran's eyebrows arched in surprise. Where did he learn that?

"No, Kero. Go downstairs."

She glanced at Tomoyo and she nodded back.

"Come on, Kero," Tomoyo said, scooping him up. "We have cake downstairs."

Kero glared in Syaoran's direction as they left. "Fine, but if I -"

The door closed.

Finally alone, Sakura pulled the covers up over her knees and to her chin.

"So where do you want me to start?"

"The beginning would be nice."

She nodded. "All right."

--

_It started a few months after you left. It wasn't anything drastic. Nothing too alarming. Just little things like maybe a missing object or broken lock or something. Things that almost resembled incidents Clow Cards would create._

"Tomoyo!" Sakura jiggled the doorknob impatiently.

"Yes?" Tomoyo asked, appearing behind her.

Sakura started, nearly wetting her pants.

"What are you doing here? Who's in the washroom?"

A slight frown creased Tomoyo's brow. "No one should be. No one's home."

Sakura groaned, thumping her head against the door.

"I have to _pee. _My bladder is going to explode. _Why_ does your door have to jam _now?_"

Tomoyo reached over and jiggled the doorknob. "It's not jammed, Sakura. It's locked."

Sakura gritted her teeth and before Tomoyo knew it, she had released the wand and faced the locked door with all the determination she gave in the face of danger.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to pee."

"There are other washrooms…"

"No! Too far."

Tomoyo laughed in exasperation. "What do you plan on doing then?"

"If the Lock can lock doors, it can very well _un_lock them then, too! _Lock!_" Sakura paused, suddenly uncertain. "Unlock?"

The door clicked open and Sakura nearly fell over as she rushed in.

"_Oh, thank God!_"

-

_That continued for a little while. It would get a little more difficult as time went by. A little more conspicuous. Like having a freak fire start somewhere I was. One that was a little startling, but not hair-raising. Or we'd have a bridge collapse. Or… I don't know… Kero would suddenly start transforming against his will. That's when I had to really admit everything to… Touya…_

"What are you doing home, monster? Don't you have school?"

Sakura turned and gave her brother a sheepish grin and nervous laugh.

"Well… umm…" she mumbled something noncommittal before switching topics as quickly as she could, "What are you doing home? I thought you had… work?"

The truth was, Kero had phoned her at lunch, sounding relatively panicked. She'd rushed home to discover him switching in and out of his two forms. She was clutching him in her hands now, his body ram-rod straight.

"I got out a little early today… Yuki and I have to go shopping."

"Oh…" She let out another little nervous laugh. "Well I should be -"

Kero's wings suddenly began pushing out against her hand.

"Not now," she hissed, nearly panicked herself.

"What are -?"

Golden light suddenly flooded the room as Sakura stepped back, dropping Kero as his wings expanded and nearly knocked her over.

She was cursing under her breath as she watched Kero transform. She glanced over at her brother, but asides from raised eyebrows, it was all the reaction she got. When Kero was done, he crouched on the ground, his eyes getting shiftier by the second as the silence stretched.

"So…" Touya began. "You must be Yue's counterpart?"

Sakura's mouth dropped open.

Touya glanced at her. "Why do you look so surprised? You know I gave Yue my magic so he could survive."

"I… I…" her mind was completely blank.

Kero on the other hand, was now standing and preening.

"I might be his counterpart, but I'm _much_ better looking if I do say so myself."

Touya nodded. "Right." He shot Sakura another look. "Go back to school, monster."

Then he walked out the room before she could form a proper word in her mind.

"Oh God, Kero. That was just… mortifying."

Kero snuck a look at her between preening. "Why? Now we don't have to hide anymore."

Sakura shook her head. "Never mind. Lets just find a way to stop this."

-

_I'm not stupid, Syaoran. After all these little incidents happened, and after all the not so little things happened, I realized something. All the situations I was put in made me use my magic a little differently. It made me do things with the Clow Cards I didn't think of doing before, much less thought possible. I… When it got violent, that's when I used magic without the wand for the first time._

The red light blinked at her as Sakura twirled around to face Tomoyo. She heaved out a sigh.

"Do you always have to film me, Tomoyo? I mean… All I'm doing is rollerblading."

Tomoyo just laughed. "Every second is important! You never know what might happen."

Cherry blossoms lined the road they travelled down. Spring made the flowers bloom and cherry blossoms gently fall from the trees. It was the time of day people went out to shop, run errands, or just soak up the spring sunshine.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Right, Tomoyo. I can't believe you still haven't gotten sick of filming me." She held up a hand to cut off Tomoyo's next words. "I know, I know. It's because I'm so _cute_, right?"

Sakura just got a smile in return.

She wrinkled her nose at her before pulling ahead of Tomoyo. They had just entered the park and it was hotter this day, and the slight breeze against her skin felt good. She didn't notice the dog barking.

What caught her attention was the sharp cry of what she assumed to be the dog's name.

Then everything that occurred afterwards happened a little too fast.

She was a ways away from Tomoyo, and the dog that broke away from his owner was at a nearly perpendicular angle from Tomoyo and Sakura.

It was an ugly, big brute of a dog. When it escaped the grasp of its owner, it streaked straight towards Tomoyo, ears lying flat on its head and lips peeled back in a snarl. Tomoyo stopped in her tracks, the initial fear and surprise paralyzing her.

Sakura panicked. She was too far away. There were too many people around. There wasn't time for her to call out her wand.

She didn't know what happened next, but she suddenly felt the presence of Windy inside of her. It felt like the magical pulse she felt as she prepared the cards for use, so she went with her gut reaction and took a hold of that feeling inside of herself, and flung it outwards at the charging dog.

As soon as she did, a gust of wind suddenly rose from the ground where she stood and swept out at its target. Stunned, she watched the wind stop the dog dead in its tracks, and lift it half an inch of its feet. The dog yipped in surprise, and as soon as its feet met the ground, turned tail and ran back.

Still incapable of forming proper sentences in her mind, Sakura goggled at Tomoyo who calmly turned back to Sakura, red light still blinking, and smiled.

"See what I mean?"

--

Syaoran sat back when it was clear Sakura was done.

"Is that all?"

Sakura shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "There was one night, after an incident in the park with a little boy that got me pretty worried. I stayed up to make sure nothing else happened. The next day I was supposed to meet with Touya to…" she trailed off, and shrugged again. "The reason isn't really important. But I slept in and… And when I got there…" she stopped. It wasn't really required for her to finish the sentence.

Syaoran knew what she found. He saw it himself today.

So he switched topics. "Windy is a pretty gentle card. Have you used any of the attack cards like Fiery before?"

Sakura shook her head. "Never. I guess that's why I passed out. I must've drained myself out on the magic."

He nodded. "Still, to use magic like Fiery without your wand… Has Kero told you about using magic like this?"

"Yes. He explained how the wand is just a tool to focus your magic through. He also told me that using magic without the wand is like trying to pour liquid into small openings without a funnel." She made a face. "I guess that was his analogy of trying to tell me that it's just harder to control and unpredictable. And messy." She rubbed a hand over her eyes. "I guess that's mainly why I feel like absolute shit right now."

"Still, your magic has grown considerably." He was watching her as he talked. "It's amazing that you can use Fiery like that and only be passed out for what basically amounts to a nap in order for your magic to rejuvenate. No… This thing, it's only been testing you. Can you see that? It's been pushing you to strengthen your magic."

"I'm not stupid, Syaoran," she scowled.

He made an impatient noise at the back of his throat.

"Clearly. But what are we going to do now?"

She finally met his gaze, and the determination in her eyes made him falter.

"_We_ aren't going to do anything. You're going back to Hong Kong."

* * *

Things can move at such a pace  
The second hand just waved goodbye  
--Dixie Chicks

* * *


	6. Chapter 5: Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands

**CHAPTER FIVE  
**Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands

--

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Syaoran watched Sakura sit up a bit straighter, her face lifting with a defiant chin. This wasn't the girl who would squeal over indecision anymore. No, this Sakura was tougher, with much more grit and determination he would've ever given her credit for.

"You heard me well enough, Syaoran. You're going back to Hong Kong. Frankly, this isn't your problem."

His lips compressed into an irritated thin line upon hearing her words.

"If it's danger, and it involves you, then it damn well _is_ my problem. I think I made that perfectly clear four years ago."

Sakura shook her head.

"We were a lot younger back then."

_We were in love,_ a voice screamed in the back of his mind. He pushed it away. There was no way was he going to shriek that out at her, so he took a slightly safer route.

"We also had a lot of feelings for each other."

"Love? Syaoran, we were fourteen!"

His teeth gritted as he tried to keep said feelings in check.

"I didn't say that. I meant I cared about you a lot then, Sakura, and I still do, despite four years of silence."

"Well that's hardly my fault."

"Of course it isn't," he scowled. "I just… I really meant it about you calling me if you had any problems."

"Well I did, and you didn't get any of it."

"Well you didn't get anything from my side either!"

They both stopped, taking a moment to breathe before they started screaming at each other over a conversation they already screamed over already.

"And we were getting on so civilly earlier," Sakura muttered.

"And we would still be if you hadn't lost all sense of rational thought and demanded I go back to Hong Kong."

This time Sakura scowled at him. He just tilted his head slightly and studied her face.

"You know, Sakura, despite serious lack of sleep, exhaustion, draining your magic, and grief, you're looking pretty good."

Her scowl just deepened.

"Go away, Syaoran. If you won't go back to Hong Kong, then just go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and leave me alone."

He stood and looked down at her for a minute. He was studying much more than just her physical appearance.

"What?" she snapped when he just stared at her and made no move to leave.

"You've changed a lot, Sakura. You didn't just grow up, you got tougher, harder, you learned how to… be more independent and… leadership," he finally decided. "You've really grown into that leadership role. Snapping out orders a lot better, that whole lot."

"So?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I'm just trying to say, you've changed. But there's one thing that you're never going to lose: that innate goodness. You're a do-gooder at heart, the one that always has a helping hand."

Sakura just continued to stare at him.

"And do-gooders have soft hearts, Sakura. You're always going to put others before yourself, and try to hide all that worry and need in you from them. So I know something. You're just worried about me. That's why you want me to go back. Now I just need to figure out the _why_. My guess is that… _thing_ said something to you. What was it?"

When she didn't answer, Syaoran just nodded.

"Right. I'm going to go now, but I'll be back later," he paused. "Don't cut me out, Sakura. I'm here now."

He didn't wait for a reply he knew he wasn't going to get. He just left, gently shutting the door on his way out.

--

When Syaoran left, Sakura waited in her bed and listened to the sounds of his departure. She heard his footsteps traveling away and down the stairs, the front door opening, and then a long moment of talking voices, words she couldn't make out, before finally the front door closing (hopefully with Syaoran outside the house).

Then she waited, still sitting on her bed, and waited, and waited. Unsure of why she was hesitating, Syaoran was surely gone by now, and starting to feel rather silly about it, Sakura threw aside the covers and stood up. Only when she looked down did she realize she was still in her pink pajamas. There was a tingle of embarrassment before she managed to suppress it, remembering the wild costumes Tomoyo used to dress her up in back in her cardcaptor days. Pink pajamas were nothing compared to some of the things Tomoyo had made up.

No matter how bright a pink they were.

She changed quickly, glancing at her bedside clock as she did so. It was two in the afternoon and her rumbling stomach reminded her she had missed breakfast and lunch. She cursed Syaoran for the delay. Then she remembered what the real delay had been, felt her stomach roll, and decided that maybe she wasn't so terribly hungry after all.

She padded from her room and down the stairs, her footsteps silent due to her bare feet. There was low chatter coming from the kitchen, the heart of all homes, and immediately headed that way when the wafting smell of food beckoned.

Sakura walked into the room just as Kero rammed a forkful of cake into his mouth and her father turned from the counters with a plate of food in his hands.

"Dad! What are you doing at home this early?"

He gave her a wane smile as he set down the plate. She noticed Tomoyo and Yukito were already sitting down with plates in front of them.

"I thought it would be best if I was at home today. So I came home early." His smile faltered. "Something happened today?"

She hesitated. "Yes."

When she didn't elaborate, Fujitaka nodded with a tired smile, not noticing how Tomoyo and Yukito exchanged looks.

"I understand. But… Sakura… Touya… Touya isn't the first one this family has lost. I know you were a little too young to remember your mother but… It takes time, Sakura."

She nodded, her throat feeling too tight and dry.

"I know."

He cleared his throat as he turned around and flipped another sandwich off the grill. This time as he moved around the island with two plates in hand, he handed one to Sakura and moved to the table. She followed.

"So," Fujitaka started, something in his tone of voice that made her think she wasn't going to like what it was he was about to say. "Syaoran was leaving when I came back. What is he doing back in Japan?"

Kero's fork clattered onto the table, face growing red in outrage as he tried to swallow the massive amount of cake in his mouth in one gulp. Before he could get even a peep out, Sakura snatched him with one hand to be sure he couldn't say a thing.

"You know," Sakura grumbled into her late lunch, "that seems to be the million dollar question of the day."

--

When they'd finished off their lunches and helped clear off the table, Fujitaka must have noticed them exchanging meaningful glances at each other because he immediately announced he had some paperwork he should do and that he would be in his office if he was needed. As soon as he left the room, the informal and rather pitifully small meeting was ordered.

They sat around the table, Sakura, Yukito, and Tomoyo while Kero sat on the table and ploughed his way through the other half of the cake.

Meanwhile, Sakura fidgeted, opened her mouth to start, coughed, cleared her throat, fidgeted some more, and then started all over again.  
Tomoyo waited patiently. Yukito watched her with that gentle understanding that only he could pull off.

"Perhaps we should have Syaoran here?" he asked gently.

She forced herself to stop fidgeting and smoothed her hands flat over the table.

"No. This started without him, we should continue it without him." She couldn't suppress the rather regretful sigh that came out next. "I should have done this a long time ago. We all need to talk. Really talk about this."

"Oh no," Kero started, waving the outstretched fork at her, "We won't have you going and blaming yourself for all this."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. Right now we have to get all our facts straight. Syaoran already filled me in on what happened today in his perspective." She briefly related what Syaoran had told her earlier. "Is there anything else? Something anyone wants to add?"

Yukito had his brows furrowed.

"Yue wants to know what the illusion felt like."

"Well…" her head tilted as she thought, "It felt… real."

Kero nodded enthusiastically as he balanced the fork on the table, the sharp prongs pointed to the ceiling.

"Obviously we're dealing with powerful magic here. Just stop and think about the whole set up. This… thing… would have had to create a barrier strong enough that neither the kid nor I could knock it down, a materialized illusion that was physical enough for you to burn to ashes, and be able to maintain it all while everything was going on. And believe me, upholding such a strong barrier and manipulating such a solid illusion is no easy task."

"It seemed effortless," Tomoyo added quietly. "It wasn't paying any attention to us because it was confident that its barrier would keep us away."

Sakura frowned. "And it must have put me under some sort of trance. I don't remember walking into the kitchen."

Kero let out a low growl of frustration as he banged the end of the fork on the table.

"I just don't know what it is! I've never seen anything like this before."

Sakura turned to Yukito.

"Yue?"

Yukito shook his head.

Kero just heaved out another sigh.

"Have I ever told you what magic is, Sakura?" He didn't wait for a reply. "It's made up of living essences. That's how you do magic. It's an essence inside of you that you form and project. It's a _living _thing. The Void card was made up of negative energy, but even it never killed. With Touya…" He shook his head. "To kill with magic is… evil. Dark. It's black magic. Think of the essence this thing must possess if its will can be used to kill."

Sakura swallowed, trying to clear her throat of the ball of suddenly overwhelming sense of panic.

"So what are you trying to say, Kero? None of us know how to deal with this. It's all new to us. We've never seen anything like it before. Now what? Four years… I think -" she coughed. "We need someone new. Someone that knows magic and hasn't been… here. So they can think objectively."

Tomoyo scraped back her chair, about to get up.

"I can call Syaoran. He left me the number where -"

"That's not what I meant, Tomoyo," Sakura said gently, cutting her off before she could leave.

Tomoyo settled back into her chair with a soft sigh.

"I know."

Yukito nodded. "I think it's a good idea. And… Yue would like to see him again."

Sakura looked down at Kero who was thoughtfully chewing on more cake.

"What do you think, Kero?"

"I think we have nothing else to lose. Having him here would be a help."

Finally, she glanced at Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo?"

Her lips thinned. "What makes you think he'll come? Nearly a year after Syaoran left, he took off too. He never looked back, did he?"

Sakura began to tap her fingertip against the tabletop, the gears in her mind beginning to slowly turn and click things into place.

"What makes you think he didn't? Syaoran… We got cut off from each other. Maybe…"

"I thought you didn't believe Syaoran, Sakura."

"Well you believe Syaoran. Why do you doubt the possibility?"

Tomoyo pushed out of her chair, her hands on the table.

"Because I've talked to him."

Sakura's head snapped up.

"When was… How…" The sort of juvenile hurt that only came from special female friendships ached in her. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Tomoyo's voice gentled as she reined back her temper. It had both the effect of sounding not just softer, but a little sad as well.

"It doesn't really matter anymore. Go ahead and phone him, Sakura. We'll need the help. And… and maybe you could get him to come back." She paused. "I couldn't."

* * *

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us  
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side  
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again  
Dragged by the force of some inner tide  
--Pink Floyd

* * *


	7. Chapter 6: Lets See Action

**CHAPTER SIX  
**Lets See Action

--

The phone was ringing when he pushed the door open with his hip.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Syaoran muttered as he kicked the door back shut, his arms loaded down with grocery bags. Dumping all the things onto the table provided, Syaoran snatched the phone up, half hoping the person hung up.

No such luck.

"Syaoran!" a voice snapped in his ear. "Where the _hell_ are you?"

"Meiling," Syaoran mumbled, already feeling a cold sweat slide down his spine. "How nice to hear from you."

"Don't get cute with me, Li Syaoran. What the hell were you thinking when you woke up this morning? Did you _lose your freaking mind_? What did you do? Pack a bag of what clearly looks like random clothing, throw a dart at a map, and then run off?"

"Meiling," Syaoran started.

"Don't Meiling me! I don't care if you're the boss. You have responsibilities! You _cannot_ take off without telling anyone! Without telling_ me_!"

"I'm really sor-"

"Do you realize what sort of morning I just had? I walked into this place and you were gone. _Gone!_ And we had a meeting in an hour which I only then discovered you rescheduled. _How could you do this?_ Then I had to look _everywhere_ for you. Your freaking pilot told me you wanted to fly down to Japan, but couldn't wait a handful of hours. _You flew commercial?_ You're insane! That's the only explanation I can come up with."

"Would you ju-"

"No, no, no, no! Don't you try patronizing me now! I don't want to listen to your crap right now!"

"Why did you phone me then?"

He flinched away from the ear piece when her answer was a shriek of frustration.

"Do you realize how many hotels I had to phone to be able to find you?"

Only being able to use the sound of her voice, Syaoran assessed the situation and construed that Meiling's temper was winding down.

"Why don't you enlighten me?"

"_God I don't know!_ Too many!"

So he was wrong.

"I spent half the morning phoning practically every hotel asking if a Li Syaoran was staying there. While I was doing that, I was madly flipping through every daybook you could possibly own, trying to figure out what, _if any_, sort of business you have down there. _You_," she snarled, "_are impossible!_"

Syaoran cleared his throat.

"Are you done?"

"_Are you done?_" she repeated mockingly. "This isn't funny, Syaoran. That's all you have to say?"

"No. It's Sakura."

There was a blessed pause at the other end of the line.

"It's Kinomoto? What's happened? Is she fine? Did she phone you? Is that why you're there? Did something terrible happen? Syaoran! What's going on?"

"Meiling… Would you just shut up and listen?"

There was a huff of indignation.

"Fine. Go on then."

So with her quiet cooperation, Syaoran related everything to his oldest friend.

He could rely on her. Meiling was always quick study. Combined with her cunning and shrewd mind, she made a formidable woman and efficient assistant. She was a shark, and Syaoran would not have wanted it any other way.

"You're absolutely crazy," she hissed.

She was also never afraid to speak to him like this.

Respectful?

Sure. But only in moderation.

"Kinomoto is right. You have no business there. You're just going to get yourself killed. Then what is the Li family supposed to do? You're head of the business for a reason!"

"What about Sakura? I can't just leave."

"She doesn't want you there. Besides, from what I hear, it sounds like she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself now."

"You have to think about this from my side of the fence. Not just from the Li clan side."

"You're on that side!"

Syaoran sucked in a breath.

"I can't just pack up and leave, Meiling. Not until I know everything is safe again."

She scowled. He couldn't see her, but he felt those scowling vibrations just quiver through the telephone lines.

"Who's going to run the business?"

"You can. God knows you keep the place running smoothly."

She snorted. "You know what the respects are like. It may be fine for a while, but the clan won't like a woman with such authority. Your mother was a different case."

"Then get Jun to watch it."

"Jun! He's incompetent! You know about him and the ladies. He'll never be able to keep little Jun in his pants long enough to even glance at the business."

"Qiao?"

"More incompetence! You know how Auntie Ting spoils him. That boy can barely tie his own shoes."

"Tao?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

"Fine, fine, fine. I'm sure you'll think of something, Meiling."

"Oh no, I'm not thinking of anything. If you're not coming back here, I'm going over there."

Syaoran almost felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.

"You can't."

"And why not?"

"Because… Because… Because…"

"Because you're coming back."

"Meiling! I can fire you, you know."

"You won't."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because I'm the best damn assistant you can ask for, and you know it. Besides, I'd just hassle you until you give me my job back anyways. You know I will."

Syaoran muttered curses under his breath, which he was sure Meiling would hear.

"Syaoran," Meiling started much gently than earlier, a worried note in her voice that wasn't there before. "If everything you told me is true, I want you back here. You know about dark magic. It's not something you mess around with."

"We're not messing around."

"I know." Meiling stopped. He could hear her gentle breaths and knew this was a time where she was slowly picking her next words. A rare moment in Meiling history.

"How is Kinomoto, Syaoran?"

"Sakura's… She lost Touya. But she seems to be taking it… I don't know, Meiling. I don't think she's letting herself grieve. She's changed so much."

"And how are you, Syaoran?"

"A little late for the niceties, isn't it?"

"You know what I mean."

Syaoran sighed. "I guess I'm doing okay. It's not easy seeing the love of your life for the first time in four years, yelling at each other before even asking how the other is doing, and then nearly watching her get killed. All in one morning."

"You should sleep, Syaoran."

"I'm going hunting."

"Don't be an idiot."

"You used to talk to me much nicer in the past."

"And you weren't so recklessly stupid in the past."

"Thanks."

"Syaoran." Her voice was sharp again. "If you don't get your ass back here soon, I _am_ going down there to drag your sorry little waste of flesh butt back."

"Hey. There's no need to be insulting to my particulars."

"What did I say about being cute?"

"I-"

Meiling slammed the phone down.

Syaoran dropped the phone. Sat down. And began to bang his forehead against the tabletop.

This was great. Just great.

Why did he get the feeling that nobody wanted him here?

--

Sakura set the phone down for the billionth time of the day and flopped down with a sigh.

"No answer?" Tomoyo asked, yet again.

"No."

When Tomoyo didn't answer, Sakura scowled at her.

"Don't give me that! The time zones are weird. Maybe he's sleeping or… at work or something."

"Sakura, you've been phoning all day. If he's at work, he would've had to come home by now or at least have checked his messages. If he's sleeping, your insistent ringing would've been bound to wake him up."

"I know, I know," Sakura muttered, covering her face in her hands. "Tomoyo, always the voice of reason."

"That's right," she said as she snatched the phone out of Sakura's reach before she could pick it up again. "Look outside, Sakura. It's dark. You have to work tomorrow. Go to bed."

When Sakura looked out the window, it was indeed dark, a fact that worried her slightly. Did she really worry away the whole day with phone calls?

"Oh, this is just pathetic. You're absolutely right. I should go to bed."

But she cast another look at the phone in Tomoyo's hands.

"For God's sake, Sakura, I'll keep phoning him for you. Go on. Take a hot shower."

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Mother." She gave Tomoyo a speculative look before turning. "Will you really keep phoning him?"

Tomoyo turned her glare on Sakura.

"If I said I would, then I will. Now get out of here."

"Fine! I'm going, I'm going. Yeesh."

When Sakura was gone from the room, Tomoyo sat, still grasping the phone.

There was nothing to be hesitant about. Just phone him.

Lips thinning with determination, she flipped the phone over and punched redial, knowing fully well that she would hang up if she had to punch out the entire number.

Phone to her ear, she heard it ring. And ring. And ring. And ring.

"Well, isn't that too bad," Tomoyo murmured as an answering machine clicked on. She hung up before his voice started his message.

For another five minutes, Tomoyo sat on the couch and debated whether or not she should just go to bed as well. But… she promised Sakura she would keep phoning.

What the hell, if a call five minutes ago wasn't picked up, what could one more hurt?

So she punched redial yet again and listened to it ring.

There was a pressure in her chest that slowly lightened each time she counted off the rings. Soon there would be a message and then she would have fulfilled her duty and be able to go to bed.

She was rounding off the next ring and heading towards the last when it suddenly stopped.

"Hello?" a sleep-roughened voice murmured into the phone.

There he was. The voice in her head. And she didn't know what to say.

Tomoyo panicked, hit the off button and sank back into the couch with a groan.

"Oh God… Coward. That's what you are: a coward," she softly berated herself.

In her mind, she knew the right thing to do would be to pick up the phone, call back, apologize for her juvenile behaviour, and then inform him of the current events.

But she couldn't do it.

Slowly, she set the phone back into the charger, stood up, and went to bed.

--

_"Sakura."_

_He's calling me._

_"Sakura."_

_Deafening silence._

_"Sakura."_

_It's a white room, stretched out and out and out, far, far away. No walls, no floor, nothing. There's nothing._

_"Sakura. Come here. Help me."_

_I walk, but I'm not walking. Where is he?_

_"I'm here, Sakura, I'm here."_

_Why don't I have a form? Why am I trying? There's nothing here._

"I'm here."

_Is that…_

_"Sakura."_

_Oh he's so far away. Why won't he come to me?_

_"Sakura."_

_"Come back… Just let me-"_

"Sakura!"

She jerked awake as someone snatched the covers from her. Cold air rushed into her warm cocoon, and she wailed as she made a futile grab for her blankets.

"Sakura! You are _so_ late for work," Tomoyo scolded, her blankets all rumpled and gather in her arms. "I kept calling and calling and you kept answering…" she shook her head. "I should have known better. You have mastered the art of talking and answering questions in your sleep."

As Tomoyo continued, Sakura rolled over onto her stomach to glance at the clock. Tomoyo was probably just exaggerating, she's be _that_-

"_Shit_!" she yelled out, jumping out of her bed and started yanking off her pajamas.

Tomoyo snorted.

"You're uniform's right there," she said, pointing to her table chair.

"Tomoyo the Small," Sakura muttered in her underwear as she started pulling on the cute little ice cream parlour uniform, "always ruthlessly efficient in her dealings."

"You're absolutely correct," Tomoyo laughed as Sakura threw the frilly pink apron on and fixed the cap onto her head. "Go on downstairs," Tomoyo said as she tied the apron in the back. "Breakfast is ready."

Sakura grimaced as she yanked a hair brush through her hair.

"This is just fantastic. I _cannot_ be late again."

Tomoyo smiled.

"Then you better hurry."

"Thanks," Sakura muttered with just a touch of sarcasm, and dashed out the door towards the kitchen.

She stopped in her tracks when she came to the kitchen. Cerberus was curled under the dining table and Yue sat quietly at the end of the table. Her father was calmly flipping pancakes at the stove, as if cooking for magic beings was just another day for him.

Confusion settled over her panic.

"What's going on? Tomoyo said breakfast was ready… I'm late!"

"Sit down, Sakura," Cerberus mumbled through a mouthful of food as he speared another pancake with a claw and popped it into his mouth.

Sakura stubbornly refused to move.

"No! I'm late!"

"Look at the time, Sakura," Yue said in his usual subdued tone.

"I _know_ what the time-" Sakura stopped.

She blinked, shook her head, blinked again, and then realized the time wasn't changing.

Footsteps approached from behind.

"You turned my clock forward an hour?" Sakura cried out as she rounded on Tomoyo.

She smiled sweetly. "Of course, Sakura. How else was I to get you out of bed?"

Sakura just stared at her.

"Tomoyo the Small, indeed; never to be underestimated."

Before it could go any further, Fujitaka set the plate of pancakes down on the table.

"Good morning, Sakura!" he greeted cheerfully.

She smiled back. Despite all the annoyance of morning, how could she not? "Good morning, Daddy."

"Come eat. Kero and Yue have been sitting here for a while, thinking and scheming while you were sleeping."

She raised an eyebrow at the two.

"Really?"

Cerberus stuck another pancake in his mouth.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she took a seat.

"Fine. Tell me what your plan is."

"We want to call the spirit."

Sakura stared at Yue.

"How do we even know it's a spirit? Why not a demon, or – or – or-"

"A ghost?" he supplied.

Sakura cringed.

"Because it's a magical being. Therefore, it must have one sort of spirit or another. If we can call it forward…"

"How do we know how it'll react? How dangerous it could be?" Sakura cut in. "We haven't even seen its true form and look what it's already done!"

Cerberus waved a pancake speared claw at her.

"We've thought of all that already. We think we've devised a plan to prevent something like yesterday happening. Yue and I will work it out some more."

Sakura frowned.

"Shouldn't I be in on this? I'm going to be the one doing all the work, right? So shouldn't you fill me in?"

Yue shook his head.

"We do not know if this will work. Let Cerberus and I discuss the matter until you get home tonight."

Sakura turned to Tomoyo.

"Did you know about this?"

Tomoyo shrugged. "I knew they were talking about some sort of plan involving this… thing, but I don't know any details either."

Her frown remained.

"Fine. But I don't like this. Next time, even if you don't know if it'll work or not, you tell me about it."

Yue nodded. Cerberus grumbled as he buried his face in another pancake.

"Eat, Sakura," Fujitaka gently reminded. "You've got work soon."

Sakura gave her father a sheepish smile as she picked up utensils.

"Right! At least I won't be late today." As she transferred pancakes to her plate, she glanced at Tomoyo beside her. "By the way, did you manage to get a hold of Eriol last night?"

Something passed through Tomoyo's eyes so quickly that Sakura wasn't sure if she imagined it or not.

"No. I didn't."

"Oh," Sakura replied absently as she smothered her pancakes in syrup. "Okay. I guess we'll just… try again tonight."

--

"Sakura!" Rika greeted as she entered the ice cream parlour. "You're here… on time."

Sakura mock scowled at Rika as she threw up the side counter to pass through to the other side.

"Good morning to you, too. Has many people come in yet?"

"Not really. You know how it's like before lunch."

"Don't I ever…"

Sakura surveyed the parlour as she joined Rika behind the counter. It was a cheerful place, with high, round tables and splashes of colour. Right now, before the lunch hour, there were only a scattering of people just hanging out. There was time yet before the noon rush with people looking for a snack.

She remembered hanging around here with her friends when she was a kid. It was a great place. It had ice cream. What more could a child ask for?

"So how are you doing, Sakura?" Rika asked. "We don't really get to hang out anymore…"

Sakura cast a regretful look at her.

"I know. Remember how easy it was in elementary school? Then high school came along… then part time jobs… then college." She shook her head. "We should find more time for friends."

Rika snapped her fingers. "That's a great idea. Maybe we could all get together sometime. You know… You, me, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Naoko… and maybe Chiharu can bring Takashi. Just the old group."

The thought had a slow smile come across Sakura's face.

"You know, I think that's a great plan. Maybe it's just what I need."

"Great! Just let me…" she trailed off, staring over Sakura's shoulder.

"What is it?" Sakura turned and felt her good mood drop. Rika quickly pretended to look busy.

"Hey Sakura," Syaoran grinned. "Cute outfit."

She glared at him. This wasn't good. Just the mere presence of Syaoran was going to give her wrinkles.

"What do you want?"

"Is that any way to speak to a customer? I want ice cream."

With great effort, Sakura smoothed out the glare and replaced it with a sugary fake smile.

"Sure! What kind of flavour would you like?"

He laughed.

"There's no need to get all sarcastic. I didn't know you work here." He scanned the choices quickly. "Vanilla. Waffle cone."

"Bor-ing," she announced as she scooped it up.

"Are you this mean to all the customers?"

"You're not a customer," she said as they exchanged the ice cream for money.

"I believe I just purchased a product from you. Therefore, I'm a customer."

"Shut up. Get out of here. No. Better yet. Go home. As in out of this country."

"Racist," he grinned as he licked off ice cream that had dripped onto his finger.

Sakura's stomach clenched.

"What time do you get off work?"

"At four. Why?" she asked, not liking the reaction she was having to Syaoran licking his ice cream.

"Great." He sent her another quick grin. "Because I'm going to take you out. On a date."

She blinked.

"In your dreams."

"Sakura, it's been nothing but a dream since I've gotten here. I'll see you at four."

And before she could think of a snappy response of rejection, Syaoran left.

Rika inched up beside her.

"Was that… who I think it was?"

"Syaoran," Sakura muttered. They both watched as Syaoran stopped at a crosswalk before casually strolling across.

"Do you… think he'll want to join us?"

Time for a change of subject.

"How's Mr. Terada, Rika?"

Her cheeks reddened ever so slightly.

"He's… fine."

Sakura nodded as her mind began to work out ways to get out of her forced date with Syaoran.

"That's good to hear."

* * *

A/N: A bit fluffier... a break from the angst. Longer to compensate for my severe lack in ability to update quicker. My apologies. Reviews, anyone? 


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